Worlds Collide
by mezzogal
Summary: 25 years ago, a prophecy was made foretelling the fall of Camelot. When a creature appears that may spell the fulfilling of that prophecy, Merlin will have to turn to someone locked in Camelot's dungeons for help. Someone deemed more dangerous than the Great Dragon.
1. Prologue

**Hi everyone, after reading loads of wonderful fics from others, I finally decided to share one I wrote too. My first time posting here so constructive criticism is very welcome. I hope you enjoy my story.**

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PROLOGUE

Practically the whole of Camelot was gathered in the square that day to witness the execution. People pointed and told stories about the wicked deeds the prisoner had done. The pyre was built and ready in the middle of the square, piled high with dry firewood soaked in oil. Extra faggots were close by just in case. Four guards stood at the cardinal directions, making sure no one meddled with the pyre. Beyond them, more guards held the people back, ensuring that no one crossed over into the execution area. There was heightened tension in the air.

The drums began to sound. The monotonous steady beat that always accompanied an execution. Expectantly, the people turned to the door of the castle keep. The stout wooden door opened slowly and a donkey-drawn cart emerged. Two guards bearing spears marched before it and two others followed behind. The cart was caged and there was a young girl of about 16 years inside. Her skin was pale, whiter than anything anyone had ever seen. Her hair was equally pale and, though grimy from dirt and neglect, it gleamed with a hint of gold when the afternoon sunlight touched it. She was dressed in a dirty gray shift and there were heavy iron manacles at her wrists and ankles and around her neck, through which thick chains were threaded and secured to the sides of the cart. Her head was bowed and she did not look at the crowd that shouted, jeered and spit at her as the cart passed through.

Reaching the clearing in the middle of the square, the guards opened the cage and the four guards each took hold of the chains and pulled the girl off the cart. She did not resist them and she fell heavily onto the cobblestones. The guards dragged her roughly onto the pyre, wrapping the chains around her body to hold her in place at the stake. The four pyre guards took up torches and a servant went round to light them. They stood in readiness, waiting for the order to begin the execution.

The newly-crowned king, resplendent in his richly-embroidered tunic and red cloak and with a gold crown upon his head, stood on the stone balcony overlooking the square. Once he saw that the condemned girl was secured, he spoke in a loud voice: "When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos. But with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm. This girl, Elvira Hulbert, is adjudged guilty of using enchantments and magic, and plotting treason against the Crown and kingdom. Pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. For the crime of sorcery and treason, there is but one sentence I can pass. She will be burned to death as a witch."

A dramatic gasp went up even though the people already knew what was going to happen, and as one they turned their eyes to the pyre. In an almost synchronised, rehearsed movement, the four pyre guards had lowered their torches and were waiting for a signal from the king.

The king raised his right hand.

"Hear me, Uther Pendragon," the girl's voice rang out strong, clear and proud from the pyre. For the first time, she raised her head and the people saw her eyes glowing gold with cold fury. "In your hatred for magic, you sow the seeds of doom for Camelot. Your children will die as strangers in a strange land and your line will end, betrayed and crownless. Camelot will fall within one generation. This is my prophecy to you and to your people."

Uther looked down at the people who were growing restless and disturbed by the prophecy. He squared his jaw and drew himself up more erect. The guards were still watching him. He let his hand drop and the guards threw the torches onto the pyre.

The firewood ignited easily and the flames leapt up, licking the girl's thin body, eating at her gray shift and at her flesh. The flames jumped higher and stronger.

And then the screaming began.


	2. Chapter 1

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER

It was a normal evening in Camelot. Merlin was working in Arthur's chambers as usual. He had finished washing the floor, cleaning the windows and making the bed, The boots and armour were polished and the stables had been mucked out. Feeling pleased with how good the day had gone so far, the thin young man was in the process of folding and putting away the Prince's clothes, all freshly washed of course. He was particularly pleased at how he had found time to polish the brass buttons on Arthur's jacket.

Humming softly to himself, Merlin thought he might actually have some spare time to himself to practice his spells when he heard footsteps outside. It was not the usual soft steps of the kitchen staff coming to deliver Arthur's evening meal. It was Arthur's heavy stomp, accompanied by another set of heavy boot steps. He could hear their voices travelling up the corridor outside and the voices did not belong to any of his favourite people in particular.

The door opened and Arthur came in followed by his father, King Uther Pendragon. Merlin was astounded at this and dropped the shirt he was holding onto the floor. He gave a quick and flustered bow and then hurried to pick up the shirt, hoping his clumsiness would go unnoticed.

Uther didn't give the servant a second look but seated himself at the head of the table, in Arthur's usual place. Merlin stuffed the shirt higgledy-piggledy into the drawer and hurried over to serve the king, as he thought he should!

"My Lord," Merlin greeted humbly. As he did so, the kitchen staff appeared at the door bearing more platters of food than Merlin thought was usual for Arthur and setting it on the table before the king. It was more food than Arthur ever ate, unless, of course, Arthur was suddenly seized by extreme hunger and felt the need to eat an entire chicken by himself.

"My father will be dining here tonight," Arthur informed his servant, noting Merlin's astonished look at the food. "You may stay and serve."

Merlin was usually tongue-tied in the presence of the king. Uther was a formidable man and frightened him; not only because he was the king but also because Merlin knew that if Uther ever found out he possessed magic, he would lose his head sooner than he could say 'let me explain'. Tonight was no exception. Though Uther seemed to be in a more genial mood and they were in a more casual setting, Merlin was still on his toes.

He brought out another chair and set it across the table from Uther, for Arthur to seat himself. He lit the candles as quickly as possible and set out the silver goblets and poured the wine and water. Father and son were already helping themselves to the food and Merlin just had to make sure that whenever they reached for anything, like the bread or for another piece of chicken, it was there ready. His duty done, he stood quietly in the corner, his curiosity piqued, still wondering why Uther was dining here tonight.

He did not have to wait long. After the first few mouthfuls and casual comments on the food, Arthur broached the subject: "You said you had something you wished to tell me" Father." he said.

Uther swallowed his mouthful of food, took a sip of his wine and agreed. "Yes, now that you are of age and crown prince of Camelot, I thought it was about time I spoke to you of this matter." he said.

"Maybe Merlin should leave?" Arthur asked, looking in Merlin's direction. Merlin felt disappointed; he did not want to go and be reduced to listening through keyholes just as they were coming to the good part.

Uther seemed to notice the servant for the first time. "No, he may stay. It may do him some good to listen. Then perhaps he would be more appreciative of the peace he enjoys here in Camelot."

Merlin flushed and looked at the floor uncomfortably, knowing that Uther's gaze was still piercing him.

"Well, what is it, Father?" Arthur asked.

"There is a secret dungeon here in Camelot where a most powerful creature of magic is imprisoned and has been imprisoned for 25 years now," Uther began.

Arthur interrupted. "Father, if you're talking about the Great Dragon, everyone knows it's there. I don't think it warrants such a dramatic lead-in."

"I am not referring to the dragon." Uther said. "And if I was, you would do well to take the creature more seriously. If it were to be unleashed, it would wreak havoc and destruction in Camelot."

Merlin smiled to himself, taking care that he was not caught doing so. Every creature of magic, if unleashed, would wreak havoc and destruction in Camelot. He often thought Uther overreacted and jumped a lot at things that weren't there.

But the King continued: "There is another creature imprisoned within Camelot. One who is possibly more dangerous than the dragon itself."

"What creature?" Arthur asked.

"Many years before you were born, a young girl came to Camelot. She was a sorcerer and managed to convince me that she could help in our fight against magic. She helped us cast spells that managed to trap the sorcerers and weed them out. But eventually, she grew too powerful. It was discovered that she was actually a druid spy and was aiding them from the inside. She was getting too close to the heart of Camelot, too deep into our secret councils and feeding information to our enemies. She had to be destroyed.

"But she was a powerful sorcerer and we knew there was no earthly way of killing her. True sorcerers are notoriously difficult to slay for they shroud themselves in enchantments to protect themselves. Most sorcerers stay dead when they lose their heads but she dabbled in the dark arts and lived, even after that. I saw with my own eyes her headless body reaching for the head, and replacing it upon the shoulders like demon out of hell. She even survived a burning at the stake. Finally, we managed to trick her and we captured and imprisoned her using her own enchantments."

Arthur was listening with rapt attention. "But why didn't you kill her after you imprisoned her, Father? Surely she was powerless then. Why even keep her here."

"A sorcerer as powerful as her is never powerless. Keeping her in the castle was the only way to ensure she would never threaten us again. The dungeon and cell she is in now was made by her and is sealed with her own enchantments. She cannot break them and as long as she is in there, she cannot inflict any harm on anyone outside its walls.

"I'm telling you this now because, as heir to the throne, you must be aware of what lurks in Camelot. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, Arthur. The current council knows of her existence just as they know of the dragon but they will do nothing. The power of action is granted only to the king. The sorcerer appears harmless but she is bent on revenge and would see the fall of the kingdom. Beware of her. Also, the people are terrified of her. They see her as a prophet of doom and would not hesitate to go to her side if they think it will save them. You know how superstitious the people can be."

"Don't worry, Father," Arthur assured him. "I will keep an eye on the situation."

The two went on to chat about inconsequential things as they finished their meal. Merlin pondered over the story he had just heard. Why had Uther wanted him to stay and hear it too? Merely to remind him to be on guard against the potential evils of sorcery? Gaius had warned him about it many times. Did the king suspect that Merlin had magic, and was thus cautioning him against it? He doubted that for he had seen Uther throw people into jail for just passing a sorcerer in the street. No, if Uther suspected anything, Merlin's head would have parted company with the rest of him by now.

Merlin was so deep in his thoughts that he did not hear Arthur calling him. But a sharp reprimanding "Merlin!" jerked him from his reverie and he realised the king and the prince were giving him stern disapproving looks.

"I'm sorry, my lords," he apologised quickly.

"We have finished dining; you may clear the table." Arthur ordered. Merlin approached and began the task. "Be quick about it!"

He did as he was told, clearing the table of the dishes, now containing less food than before but still leaving much unfinished. Having grown up in a poor village, it always amazed him that the royal household wasted so much food on a regular basis. The food left behind from that meal could have fed him and his mother for a few days at least. But it wasn't his place to judge. He removed the dishes and replaced it with a platter of fresh fruit that had been left to chill by the window.

Uther ignored the fruit and rose. "Come, Arthur, it's time I showed you what we had been discussing," he said. He swept out of the room, followed by Arthur. Merlin looked longingly after them, wanting to see too.

He got his wish. Arthur poked his head back in and said exasperatedly: "Hurry up, Merlin!"

Merlin immediately dropped what he was doing and ran after them.


	3. Chapter 2

Uther, Arthur and Merlin were accompanied by two guards - Uther's personal bodyguard that followed the king everywhere. They were going to a wing of the castle that Merlin seldom visited. It contained old and disused chambers and he knew that beneath were the secret vaults and dungeons. No prisoner wanted to go anywhere near these cells if they could help it. No guard either. Merlin could feel the magic in the air and knew that these were no ordinary prisons.

Arthur seemed to know what was going on, although his face expressed a small amount of distaste, and Merlin surmised that he was aware of this wing and these cells. Uther strode forward, leading the way through the dark corridor that was dimly lit with torches placed at irregular intervals and stopped before a stout wooden door. He took out a bunch of keys that hung from his belt and handed them to his guard who unlocked the door. It creaked open and a rush of dank stale air came through. Beyond was a flight of old stone stairs covered with dust. Cobwebs hung from old and rusted brackets where no light had shone for years. It was too dark to see how far down the flight of stairs went.

Their footsteps echoed and their shadows danced on the walls as they made their way down. It felt colder inside the stairwell and the air stank of mildew and rot. At length, they came to an empty chamber. Beyond the chamber was another wooden door, this one barred by iron bars in addition to the lock. Merlin began to wonder what kind of creature lived within that warranted such high security. The enchantments in the room made his skin prickle. Even Arthur looked a little uncomfortable there and he was warily looking around, as a seasoned military man might survey the site of a suspected ambush.

The guards removed the iron bars and opened the door. Behind the door was a set of strong grilles that formed another barrier from floor to ceiling and across the doorway. Uther stood before those grilles, the guard holding a torch as close as possible to light up the large cell that was on the other side.

Arthur moved forward to stand just behind his father to get a closer look. Merlin took advantage to do the same. From what he could see, it was another stone chamber with a bare, roughly hewed stone floor. Remnants of old straw could be seen scattered near the entryway. There were no windows or openings of any kind to allow fresh air to enter. There was no sign that anyone was living there or had been there for years.

Uther's eyes were sweeping over the cell but it was so dark inside that the light penetrated less than a few feet and most of the cell was steeped in darkness and shadow. "Show yourself," Uther commanded.

Merlin waited with bated breath. He heard, or thought he heard, the sound of heavy chains scraping against the stone floor and the sound of shuffling, as though a creature were dragging itself over the ground. But how could that be? How could anything survive in such deplorable living conditions? He let out a gasp as a creature emerged from the shadows.

It was a human figure; a small, impossibly gaunt figure. Its flesh, or what remained of it, was blackened as though by fire or by the passing of time as a rotted corpse might decay. There was the sound of a death rattle as it drew hoarse breaths. It was clad in rags so badly torn and damaged that it was impossible to tell what the garment originally looked like. Manacles and chains hung from its wrists and its ankles.

It staggered to the doorway and stood before them. Its face was terrifying. Wisps of silver hair emerged from the scalp and the skin was as blackened as the rest of the body. Its skin was partially gone, leaving gaping holes that revealed the bones within. But its eyes shone golden, reflecting the flickering torchlight like a cat's eyes, and its stare was unblinking and penetrating as it surveyed the party standing before it. Merlin felt that if he were ever to see a corpse come back to life, this would be it. After getting over the first initial shock, far from being repulsed however, he felt pity that any creature would be forced to live trapped in such vile conditions.

"I am here, Uther Pendragon," it said. Its voice was hoarse and raspy and it spoke as though it were little used to speaking. "What is it you want from me." Arthur instinctively took a step back as it spoke.

Uther held his ground. "It has been 25 years since you entered this prison, sorcerer. Today, on the anniversary of your imprisonment, I am inclined to show you mercy. You know the price of your freedom - you must give up your magic, swear fealty to the Crown and make amends for your crimes. If you wish to do so, I am prepared to hear your plea."

The creature opened its mouth and wheezing sounds emitted. Merlin realised that it was laughing. The sound grated on nerves as it bounced off the rock walls and filled the empty chamber. The creature turned and seemed about to depart back into the shadows. "You will not turn your back on your king," Uther ordered.

The remark seemed to enrage the creature for it turned sharply back to face them, its body poised as though it had been roused from its ennui and became tense and alert. Its eyes blazed with cold fury. "You are not my king. It is because of my help that you wear that crown, Uther Pendragon. It is through my aid that your kingdom is safe and secure. And this is how you repay me. I do not forget your betrayal. I do not seek your mercy and I will not swear allegiance to a Pendragon."

"Then you condemn yourself to an eternity of imprisonment," Uther said calmly. "For you know better than anyone the conditions by which your magic will lift and break the enchantment that holds you."

At this the creature snarled and launched itself with surprising quickness at the bars but it seemed unable to reach through. It could only grip the bars tightly as it said: "You have no idea of eternity. I damn you, Uther Pendragon. I curse you to the blackest pit of hell that the devil reserves for traitors of the worst kind. May you burn there, Uther Pendragon, feeding off your shame and despair until long after I am released from this prison and Camelot is forgotten and faded even from the memory of myth. I swear this to you. _Ic swerie pas to eow_."

Merlin let out an involuntary shudder as it spoke the words in the ancient language, sealing its curse.

"Your words have no effect, sorcerer, except to reinforce the fact that I was right to have your kind wiped out," Uther snarled back. "You may have once been an ally but you turned your back and chose to side with evil. You are a threat to this kingdom and will never be released." He turned sharply, his cloak billowing behind him and began to climb the stairs out of the chamber.

"You may lock me up but you will never take my words, Uther Pendragon. Remember me and despair when your kingdom falls," the creature said. Uther's anger was provoked. He motioned to the guards who slammed their weapons against the grilles causing the creature to release its grip and retreat into the darkness. Uther turned his heel and left the chamber.

Arthur lingered just a moment too long and the creature spoke again. "The young Pendragon would do well to learn from the sins of his father if he does not wish to share the same fate," the creature said ominously, directing her words at Arthur. Arthur looked disturbed, unsure what to make of those words. But then he seemed to shrug it off and followed his father out.

Merlin turned to leave too but at the last moment, he looked back and saw the creature standing in the gloomy darkness, its limbs hanging uselessly by its side, weighed down by the heavy manacles. He felt its eyes on him as the guards closed the door, locking it back inside that terrible cell.


	4. Chapter 3

Merlin sat on the stairs that led up to his little room and watched Gaius working at his bench. The old man was mixing up his herbs and boiling strange potions in his test tubes and bottles. Gaius had often tried to teach him the physician's arts but Merlin seemed to have developed a block to it and nothing about that field ever stuck in his memory for long. It was probably all the long hours attempting to clean the leech tank, scour out potion bottles of all shapes and sizes, and searching for obscure herbs in the dead of night that killed any spark of interest Merlin might have had in the medical arts.

But it was not to say that Gaius mistreated the young man. On the contrary, he had grown to love Merlin dearly, even though the young man had come into his life so unexpectedly all those years ago and seldom gave him a moment's peace since the very first minute they met.

"Well, out with it," Gaius suddenly said to Merlin.

Merlin lifted his head in surprise. "What?" he asked.

"You've got something on your mind. I know you. You've been looking like a puppy caught in the rain and wondering why you're all wet," Gaius said crustily, putting down his instruments and seating himself at the table, a sign that he was ready to listen and to give advice if necessary. "What have you been up to?"

"I went with Arthur and the King to the secret wing of the castle tonight," Merlin said. "It was... I can't even describe it. It was horrible. I could feel the anguish in the walls, all that despair and hate. The place was bristling with magic."

"It would be," Gaius said. "During the Great Purge, that wing was the prison wing and all the suspected sorcerers were kept there, awaiting trial and execution. That wing was specially prepared for prisoners who had magic, to prevent them from escaping. You should tread carefully there, Merlin. Many enchantments work on people who have magic, and their power obviously still remains."

"Why? What can those enchantments do?" Merlin asked.

"Well, for one, they could prevent you from using magic there," Gaius answered. "Also, if you step into the wrong cell, you might not be able to get out. The enchantments were cast to contain sorcerers. Only the king and his agents have the authority to break them."

"But who cast them, Gaius?"

Gaius sighed. "If Uther brought Arthur down to that wing, it can be for one reason only - the sorcerer Elvira Hulbert."

"Is that her name? The one who couldn't be executed? The only one who's still locked up in those cells?"

"Still in the cell? You saw her?" Gaius asked in surprise. "She's still alive?"

Merlin gave a snort of derision. "If that's what you would call alive, I don't know what you would call dead."

Gaius gave him a disapproving look. "I wouldn't underestimate that girl if I were you. She may look harmless but she is powerful, Merlin. Her magic was second probably only to the dragons. I have personally seen her call down lightning from the sky and slay monsters with a single thought. There are enchantments surrounding Camelot and the castle, protecting the city from a major magic attack that may come from the outside. These enchantments were all cast by her."

"So what happened to her?"

"The usual story. Uther knew of her powers and convinced her to help him eradicate magic in the kingdom. After she did that, the king turned on her. He used her own spells against her and burned her at the stake. I remember that day well. She prophesied the fall of Camelot."

"I bet Uther didn't like that at all," Merlin grinned.

"No, he didn't," Gaius agreed. "She had told him that a long time ago. Thirty years ago she was well known as a seer and Uther summoned her to the castle. She told him Camelot would fall by a combination of inner betrayal and external powers. Uther took that to mean a sorcerer would bring about the downfall of Camelot and it sowed the seeds of his fight against magic. But I don't think that was what she meant.

"The day she was burned at the stake she repeated the prophecy in front of the people. But she said it would be Uther's hatred for magic that would spell the doom of the kingdom within one generation. Everyone heard it and they were terrified. They thought her to be a real sorcerer and that what she said would come true."

"But that's all superstition, isn't it, Gaius?" Merlin asked.

"I've always wondered about that," Gaius said. "Against all odds, she survived the burning. I was there. I remember the stink of burnt flesh and fuel that filled the square. The fire was kept burning for days. Initially she was screaming but after a few hours she fell silent. By the time the king ordered for the fire to be extinguished, all that was left was a charred skeleton but still very much alive. Uther let it be known that she was dead but ordered the remains to be chained up and cast into the cells. To my knowledge, she has been there ever since."

Gaius fell silent, caught up in his memories of those times. "But that's horrible!" Merlin exclaimed. "How could Uther have done that, especially after she had helped him?"

"Merlin, you should know by now that for someone with magic, being Uther's friend is more dangerous than being his enemy."

"Uther said she was like a 'demon out of hell'. You said all that remained of her was a skeleton but I saw a substantial creature with flesh on its bones. What kind of a creature is she exactly?"

"She called herself a vampire," Gaius said.

"A vampire? What's that?" Merlin asked.

Gaius looked askance at him. "Have you never heard of vampires, Merlin?" The young man shook his head. Gaius explained: "Vampires were humans like you or I once. But it is said they were bitten by other vampires, or sought them out and became vampires themselves. They are creatures of the night and drink blood to survive. Human blood, preferably, though I hear that animal blood will do too. They are immortal and have supernatural speed and strength, and some possess magic. Their weakness, traditionally, was sunlight and fire. The girl Elvira claimed to be an ancient vampire and that her magic increased with time. I believe she did possess incredible magic for she could walk in the sunlight and even survived the flames."

"But where do they come from?"

"No one knows. Superstition says they were created by the devil himself, as bloodthirsty demons that feed on the living and spread out from there. They say a single bite from a vampire would either kill you or turn you into one. I never believed they existed until I met Elvira."

"What I don't understand is why Uther keeps her locked up in there," Merlin said. "The conditions were inhuman, Gaius. There was no air, no light, no food or water. No one had been down there for years. Why would the king keep her locked up and forgotten? Couldn't he just find a way to kill her?"

"It's not easy to slay a vampire, Merlin," Gaius repeated. "She survived numerous execution attempts. I don't know why Uther keeps her here in Camelot though. I thought she was long gone. Dead from her injuries. If you actually saw her then she must have been slowly healing herself."

"She looked like a living corpse," Merlin added grimly. "She cursed Uther. She said he was damned to the deepest pits of hell for what he did. She told him that Camelot would fall. She used magic to seal her curse."

"She couldn't have. She can't use magic in that cell. The only thing she has left is her words. Uther might have intended to starve her into submission but it's obviously the wrong way to go," Gaius said thoughtfully. "He can't expect her to forgive and forget after all he's done. I'm inclined to believe her prophecy - that it's Uther who has sowed the seeds of doom for Camelot."

"This is wrong, Gaius," Merlin said thoughtfully. "It could be me down there."

"Yes it could, if you don't watch your step," Gaius warned. Merlin got up and was about to enter his room, "Merlin," Gaius called. The young man stopped and turned around. "I have turned a blind eye to you consorting with the dragon but I absolutely forbid you to talk to Elvira. Put any and all thoughts of it out of your head. She may only have her words but words have power. It's far too dangerous and if Uther finds out you were talking with the most powerful sorcerer Camelot has ever seen he will have your head. Do you hear me?"

"Don't worry, Gaius," Merlin said. "Uther won't ever find out."

He entered his room and closed the door, leaving the old man to wonder whether that statement was an assurance or an evasion.


	5. Chapter 4

Note: Thank you, Jack1990, Linnea.E and MildeAmasoj for reading this little story of mine!

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Merlin was distracted all of the next day. It annoyed Arthur immensely for he kept making mistakes like pouring water into his soup bowl instead of into his mug, and bringing him his short sword instead of his full-sized battle sword. When Merlin finally succeeded in putting the prince's armour on backwards, Arthur reached the end of his patience and sent the young man to muck out the stables.

Even while there, Merlin still found plenty of mistakes to make. He almost put dirty water into the horses' trough and nearly threw out the fresh hay instead of the soiled straw. The horses nudged him when he passed near them, as though sensing that he was troubled. They liked this young man who often came to clean their stable, curry their coats and give them fresh food and water. He always spoke nicely to them and treated them gently.

Finally, Merlin threw aside his pitchfork and went over to pat the horses. His favourite was a smaller, spirited horse, whose coat was so dark that it looked almost black and had a white spot in the middle of its head. "You'd do the right thing, wouldn't you, boy?" Merlin asked the horse. "Even if it means helping someone the king thinks is his sworn enemy?" The horse whinnied. "I don't think she's really evil. If it happened to me, I would hate the world too. Everyone deserves a second chance. Maybe she just needs a friend." The horse pawed the ground impatiently.

"You're absolutely right, boy," Merlin agreed. "I should stop talking and do something about it." He gave the horse an affectionate slap on the back and ran out of the stables.

That evening, after he had finished infuriating Arthur further, Merlin slipped out and went down to the castle kitchens where the cooks and servants were busy cleaning after a long day's work at the stove.

"Well, what do you want?" a cook asked grumpily as she noticed him.

"Prince Arthur sent me to get him some extra food," Merlin lied, putting just the right amount of sheepishness into his voice. In olden days he would have snuck food right off Arthur's plate but he had wised up since then. That course of action only succeeded in getting him into trouble.

The cook grumbled under her breath about how much extra work his royal highness was giving her and how they had already put out the cooking fires, and shouted to a servant to make up a plate for the prince. It was cold meat, a hunk of bread, some slices of cheese and an apple. Merlin accepted it with thanks and snuck it into his room, thanking luck that Gaius was not in at the time. He was not sure how he would explain away his attempt to smuggle a plate of food into his room.

Later that night, when Gaius was snoring away in the outer room, Merlin crept out. He was carrying the plate of food which he covered with a clean cloth. With his frequent night time wanderings, he was now more adept at quietly sneaking out without knocking over any of Gaius' knick knacks in the process. He carried a water skin with him too and made a quick stop at a water pump to fill it with fresh water.

With more than a little trepidation, he made his way back to the secret wing of the castle. As he passed the last guard post before entering the wing, Merlin took a torch that was leaning against the wall and lit it from one of the guard fires. There were no guards in sight, which was unusual for the castle but Merlin could hear their voices echoing in the distance. They had gone on their rounds, doing the bare minimum to fulfil their duty in the mostly empty wing.

The secret wing was creepier now that he was walking through it alone. The enchantments that lingered there seemed to strengthen once the sun went down and the moon reigned in the sky. More than once Merlin turned round, convinced there was someone in the corridor behind him. But there was always nothing there. He kept his eyes focused on the path before him, afraid to look at the doors and openings that he passed.

Suddenly, there was a loud shriek coming from the darkness before him. Merlin held the torch aloft, the flame shaking in his trembling hand. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Merlin called nervously.

A black shape swooped out of the shadows, grazing the top of his head and arcing up towards the ceiling. Merlin yelled in surprise and ducked down, nearly dropping the torch and plate of food in the process. He strained to see through the gloom, to see what kind of monster attacked him. He spied the black shape hanging from a rafter on the ceiling and he grinned to himself. It was only a bat.

At length, Merlin came to the door at the top of the stone stairs. He put out a hand and whispered a spell: "_Tospringe!_" His eyes flashed gold and the door unlocked itself. Merlin went in and drew the door close so no one passing by would suspect it had been opened. His footsteps echoed as he walked down the flight of stairs. He saw spiders, beetles and many-legged worms scurrying away as he passed with the torch, creatures who lived in the dark and who were unused to the light and warmth of a fire.

Reaching the room at the bottom of the stairs, Merlin put the torch into a bracket close by the iron-barred door and put the plate of food and water skin down on the floor by it. He repeated his spell several times and managed to remove the iron bars and open the door to reveal the grille, the last barrier between the outside world and the prison within.

The yawning portal seemed even darker than before and Merlin suddenly became aware of how feeble the torchlight was in the midst of such utter darkness. But he drew up his courage and approached the doorway. "Hello?" he called apprehensively. "Elvira? Are you there?"

For a few seconds there was no reply, then the hoarse voice said: "I'm here." The sound again of the chains dragging against the floor, and the shuffling and finally, the creature - the vampire Elvira - appeared in the circle of light. Up close and alone with her, she looked even more terrifying but, knowing her story now, Merlin felt only pity.

"I'm Merlin," he said.

"I know," she said. "The great magician himself. Oh yes, I've heard of you." She did not sound sarcastic or mocking. She sounded as though she were merely stating a fact.

"What is it you want from me?"

"Nothing," Merlin said. "I... I want to help you." Merlin could read her expression only by her eyes and she seemed genuinely surprised.

"I'm afraid I'm beyond help, Merlin," she said sadly.

"So you're just going to give up? You can't let Uther treat you like this, it's inhuman," Merlin protested.

"But I'm not human. Surely you were told that," she said. Her golden eyes flickered in the torchlight and Merlin could see how old her eyes were. They seemed ancient but were also filled with suspicion. "What exactly do you want with me, young one? Why have you come?"

Merlin hesitated. He did not have a ready answer. The truth was that he did not know himself. He put a hand out and said: "_Allinan_." There was a grating sound as the iron grille slid open.

"That wouldn't work," Elvira said. "It's more than a door that keeps me here."

"I know," Merlin said cheerfully. "But if the bars were there, I couldn't give you this." He bent down and picked up the water skin and plate of food. Elvira's eyes glowed at the sight and she instinctively reached for it, but her hand seemed to hit an invisible barrier in the doorway. Merlin noticed it too.

"Is it true then? That enchantments hold you here?" Merlin asked, moving forward with the plate and water.

"Don't come closer, Merlin," Elvira warned. "You are obviously magic. If you enter my cell, I fear you too will be trapped."

"Then I won't come in then," Merlin agreed. He held the plate and inched it through until it was about halfway over the threshold, careful not to let any part of his hand cross over just in case. On the other side, Elvira received the plate. He did the same with the water skin. There was no resistance that Merlin could feel. "See? No problem."

"Thank you, Merlin," she said as she placed the food on the floor and opened the water skin. She drank thirstily. "I had almost forgotten the taste of water," she commented. Her voice sounded significantly less hoarse than before. She was watching him as she ate and drank.

Merlin questioned her as much as he dared while she ate. She told him that she had come from another world. That she had arrived in Camelot more than 50 years ago after having come through a portal, a gateway in time and space. In her world, she lived on a different planet, many light years away from Earth, a place so far away that Merlin had never even dreamt of, and her present was a mind-boggling 47 million years in his future. But the door to her world was closed now and she was trapped here.

She too questioned him closely, asking him a lot about Arthur and about the status of magic in the kingdom. He answered as well as he could. But having been asked directly why he had come, he did not have a ready answer. Sure, he could come up with something if she had pressed him but as she did not, it gave him time to think about it.

As she returned him the plate and the now-empty water skin, he said: "I don't really know why I'm here. But I know what it feels like to be alone, locked up and treated like a monster. I just wanted to help. I thought, maybe, you might want a friend."

Merlin was surprised to see her eyes soften. "There is truth and sincerity in your words, Merlin," she said. "I know you to be a true and loyal person, and you would not knowingly harm any other creature. I can see that you mean me no harm and that you came with good intentions. Forgive me for doubting you."

The young man grinned. "There's nothing to forgive. I don't blame you for being suspicious. I would be too, if I were in your place."

"I pray you will never be in my place," Elvira said. "You better be going back. I don't want you to get into trouble on my account."

"It's no trouble," Merlin said. "There're barely any guards around here. I think they're afraid to come here. It is kind of spooky at night."

She nodded. "Thank you for the food and water. Thank you also for offering me your friendship. I'm very grateful."

"I'll come back," Merlin promised. "I don't know when, but I will."


	6. Chapter 5

**Thank you all for the reviews. I'm still finding my way around this site so don't know how to reply so I'll just write it here. I've been sitting on this story for a long time cos I was scared of letting other people read it in case they hate it. But you're all so sweet. :)**

** EmilyVC Hmmm... Yes, I didn't consider it at the time that maybe Merlin's magic would react differently to the magic in the secret wing. But you're right. There is a possibility. ;)**

** MildeAmasoj Yes, English is my first language. No, I don't have a beta. Are you offering? Hehe!**

** Linnea.E Epic battle sounds like fun! I kept waiting for the Ultimate Showdown between Merlin and Morgana on the show but that never really happened. :( Maybe in another story. Nope, I'm not one of the show writers (I wish I were though).**

* * *

In a forest on the other side of the kingdom, almost on the borders of Camelot, a young goatherd was herding his flock of goats, in the middle of a hard day's work. The sun was shining down brightly and he was feeling hot. Fanning himself with his wide-brimmed straw hat, he flicked his little stick at the goats, driving them into the forest.

It was cool under the shade of the trees and all was quiet and peaceful. There was no one else about and the bleating of the goats broke the silence when the herd passed by. The goats knew where they were going for they followed the same route almost every day. There was no need for the goatherd to issue many directions. He just had to make sure the stragglers did not get left behind. Any goat lost meant money lost and a thrashing from his father later on, neither of which he relished very much.

"Go on, get on with ye," the goatherd admonished a few of the slower goats that had lingered a little too long munching on the grass along the way. He gave them a few cursory beatings with his stick, just to remind them who was in charge. They gave him an annoyed look, evidently not recognising his authority.

"Move it you lazy lumps!" he scolded in mock anger. He could not feel real anger towards these animals for he spent so much time with them that they might as well have been his family. He certainly saw more of them than he did of his parents and siblings. Indeed, there were often times when his little family home felt so crowded and claustrophobic that he would go out and sleep with the goats in their pen.

He thought all the goats were on their way through the forest when he heard a tiny bleating sound. One of the kids must have gotten lost, as usual. He looked around and quickly doubled back to search. It was not difficult to spot the little white goat perched up on a big rock. It had climbed up and could not find a way down and was bleating in fear.

"Tis all right, little one, I'm comin'," the goatherd called. He fearlessly scaled the rock and, reaching the top, picked the kid up and tucked it under his arm. "Now then, there's nothing to be afeared. Tis only a little bit of a height." He carried it down from the rock and ran back after the main herd. He found them a little way off their usual path, having stopped to nibble at the plants by the roadside when they discovered that their herder was no longer behind them.

"All right, come on now. The sooner we get a move on, the sooner we'll get there," the goatherd said to the goats. He put down the little kid among the others and it scarpered off. "Tea break's over."

The goats protested a little but obeyed when the goatherd brandished his stick before them. With a little gentle persuasion, the herd began moving again. By and by, they came to a riverbank where the goatherd unslung his leather satchel and put it on a flat rock, then squatted down to scoop a handful of the clear water to drink. The goats too knew they had arrived at their destination and were scattering in search of good food and a drink. None wandered too far from the main herd. They were too well trained.

The goatherd, having quenched his thirst and splashed some water on his face, picked up his satchel and walked over to sit leaning against a tree trunk. He pulled out a hunk of bread, some cheese and an onion. Taking out his knife, he proceeded to cut a piece of each to make a bite-sized open face sandwich which he popped into his mouth. As he chewed, he did a careful headcount of his goats.

Some of the smaller kids and the young adults came nudging over to him. "Oy, you've got all that lovely grass. This 'ere's my lunch, mates. No touchin' it." But he pinched off some bread and fed it to the kids. Some birds also landed close by, pecking at bread crumbs they found. The goatherd recognised one or two of the birds who made regular appearances, knowing he would not hurt them and that he was a bearer of the delicious bread crumbs.

"You'll be eatin' me out o' house and home, mark me," the goatherd told the animals. "Aye, and mam wonders why there ain't no meat on my bones but I et so much bread every day."

Finishing his lunch, the goatherd stood and brushed off his clothes, letting the birds peck at the last of the crumbs that fell from it. He then went back to the river to get another mouthful of water. The good meal and the drink of fresh cool water on a hot day, in the middle of the forest was his idea of paradise.

Going back to his tree, he did another cursory head count of the goats. There were a few less than before but he knew that they had just wandered out of his sight and would be back by the end of the afternoon. They always were. In this country, no one stole animals that had been daubed with some plant dye, as his were, for the colour marked them as being someone's property. Property was respected in this land. Camelot saw to that. The goatherd stretched out and relaxed against the tree trunk. Within minutes, he was asleep.

It was the frightened bleating of the goats and the insistent butting of their heads against his body that woke him. He was startled out of his snooze and found almost the entire herd of goats gathered closely around him, bleating piteously. There was a crackling sound in the air and the feeling like just before a storm. The forest seemed darker than before because a bright light was suddenly shining from through the trees, a white light that made the sunlight look dull.

The goatherd picked up his stick and crept forward to investigate. The goats bleated even more insistently. He understood; they wanted to leave. But he wanted to see what it was. All his life he had heard of magic but had never seen any. This was likely to be his only chance and he was not going to pass it up.

He crept closer. The light was so bright, it was unlike anything he had ever seen, anything he could even imagine. It felt like the light was alive. It seemed to be coming from nowhere, as though there was suddenly a crack in the world and the light shone through. The goats were clearly terrified. They were biting at his clothes, trying to pull him away. But the light seemed to draw him in. Its brightness hurt his eyes and he lifted an arm to shield them.

"I just gotta see it," he said. "I have to."

He was now at the point where the light was the brightest. No more goats followed him but they stood at a distance, bleating loudly. The goatherd took his stick and poked at what he thought must be the source of the light. It was like poking his stick at the thin air but all of a sudden, his stick vanished. The goatherd did not seem to notice that it was gone. It was as if the stick had never existed and he had just arrived at the light source.

The goatherd stretched out his hand closer and closer to the source. As he was about to touch it, there was an ear-piercing shriek that emanated from the light. The goatherd jumped backwards and retreated several steps. The shriek sounded several more times and suddenly, a huge portal opened, unbearable bright light streamed through and a huge flying monster emerged.

It was as large as a dragon, with a sleek head that resembled a horned lizard and a beak like an insect. There was another opening in its chest that looked like another mouth. It had wings that were crossed with veins and ended in three large claws, and four hook-like arms emerged from its torso. Its body was long, streamlined and scaly, and ended in what appeared to be a tail shaped like a scythe.

The creature was clearly disoriented and was flying around, hitting itself against the trees, felling them and shrieking loudly, though whether in pain or in fury the goatherd did not know. He had fallen to the ground when the creature emerged and was pressing himself as low as he could, hoping the creature did not spot him. The portal where the creature had emerged had closed and was small and barely noticeable now.

The sound of a goat bleating broke through as the wind changed direction and the creature perked its head, looking for the source of the sound. The goatherd feared for his goats but took the moment of distraction as an opportunity to crawl over to one of the fallen trees and hide behind them. He felt safer with a little bit of cover.

Peeking out, he saw a few of his goats in the distance, bleating and looking for him. He wished they would have run away and saved themselves but their calls had attracted the creature. It flew towards them like a bat out of hell and landed. With a flash of light, it devoured the goats and was following the bleats of the main herd further into the forest. The goatherd could bear it no more and he left his hiding place and fled, running faster than he had ever run before, not caring where he was running to as long as he got away from this monster.


	7. Chapter 6

"What's this?" Elvira asked Merlin as he handed her a bottle full of a red liquid. It had been a few weeks since his first visit and he had come to see her so regularly and always bearing food and water that had helped her heal rapidly and she looked almost human again. Her skin was now a very dark brown and her hair had grown back. There were still some injuries but she was over the worst.

"It's blood," Merlin said. "Gaius said vampires needed it to live. You won't allow me to cross over and give you some of mine so I managed to get some from elsewhere."

She uncorked the bottle and gave it a cautious sniff. "What kind of blood is it? Where did it come from?"

"It's pig," Merlin replied. "I managed to talk the butcher into giving it to me when he slaughtered his animals. I said Gaius wanted it for a test."

"You're going to get into trouble if Gaius ever meets the butcher and gets to talking," Elvira joked. Then, becoming serious, she asked: "Was the animal alive when the blood was collected?"

"Oh yeah," Merlin said. "I was there. I thought I would never get my hearing back. It was squealing so loudly. Does it matter?"

Elvira had taken a small sip and gave a small moan of pleasure. "Oh, that is so good," she said. "It's been far too long since I last fed." Then, remembering that Merlin had asked a question, she said: "Normally it wouldn't matter, but now that I'm still not fully recovered, it would. You see it's best that vampires don't drink dead blood, or rather, blood from a dead creature. It's like eating rotten food and it could pull a vampire into death too." She took another sip. "Do you mind that I don't finish it all at once? It's like after fasting for a long time, it's best not to take too much at once."

"Of course," Merlin agreed. "Gaius always tells me off not to gobble down my food. It gives me hiccups but personally I think anything that annoys Arthur is worth it."

"Oh get on you," Elvira laughed. She put the bottle down somewhere in one of the shadowy corners. Her strength had returned a long time ago and the chains no longer bothered her. Merlin had witnessed the vampire's supernatural speed for himself and had been greatly impressed.

"Well, I better go," Merlin said. "It's the middle of the afternoon outside. Arthur would be looking for me to polish his armour or something." He got up and left. As he had been in the habit of doing lately, he did not close and bar the door nor did he take the torch with him but left it in the outer chamber for Elvira to have some light.

He ran into Arthur as he emerged from the secret wing. "Where the hell have you been?" Arthur demanded. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, Arthur, I took a wrong turn and got lost," Merlin said, pointing a finger over his shoulder at some arbitrary direction.

"You got lost?" Arthur repeated. "Merlin, tell me, how long have you been living here in Camelot?"

"Not long enough to know my way around, evidently. This place is a maze sometimes," Merlin said. "Honestly, sometimes I feel like I need to make a map and carry it around with me. But then I'd need a pencil too because I haven't been down every corridor and every stairway and..."

"Merlin, shut up," Arthur ordered, getting tired of his servant's never ending prattle. "Come on, my father's summoned me to an urgent meeting in his council chambers."

Arthur strode off and Merlin hurried to keep up. "Um... why am I involved if the king's summoned you?"

"So I can keep an eye on you," Arthur said ominously. "There's something shifty about you. I don't buy your story that you got lost for one minute. If you're sneaking of to the tavern or drinking on the sly, I just might clap you in the stocks for a while. Maybe that would sober you up so you'd actually do some proper work for a change. I don't think I've ever met a servant as lousy as you."

"Oh trust me, it takes skill to be as good a servant as this to an arrogant prat," Merlin retorted just loudly enough that Arthur overheard.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked threateningly.

"Nothing," Merlin answered quickly. Arthur wasn't sure whether to give the young man a thrashing right there or to just let it go.

The two strode down to Uther's council chamber. It was already full with soldiers, guards and knights. The king sat on his throne at the head of the hall and there was a peasant standing shyly before him. The gathered assembly bowed as Arthur walked by, making his way to the front of the room. Merlin took his place at the side of the hall where he saw Gaius standing and observing the proceedings.

It turned out that the man was a villager from one of the outlying villages, at the edge of Camelot's borders. A few days ago, a goatherd had come running out of the forest, raving about a terrible monster which had appeared out of thin air and devoured all his goats. They had initially laughed at him, thinking he had lost his wits somehow, possibly the result of too much exposure to the sun. But their laughter had ceased when they saw the creature for themselves. A winged creature from hell. It had devoured many heads of livestock and men. Villagers had barricaded themselves inside buildings as the creature besieged them.

It had flown across many villages, terrorising many in the countryside. There was no escaping the creature once it had spotted them. It would land and engulf the man in its wings, a secondary mouth in its chest opening wide. The man would be gone in a flash of light. No one knew what happened. Entire families had been wiped out and villages destroyed. The peasant had taken advantage of an attack one day to jump onto his horse and ride for Camelot to beg for help.

Arthur reported that he had heard rumours of this from his sentries - not of a creature but of villages being besieged. The sentries had reported how numerous villagers in the border region had abandoned their homes and sought refuge in churches and sturdy buildings, turning such places into refugee camps. More reports were coming in daily and whatever the scourge was, it was clear that it was spreading.

The sentries did not know what they were hiding from but knew that whether the foe was human or monster, such buildings and villages could not withstand any determined attacks. Undefended, it was inevitable that they would fall.

Uther questioned Gaius if he had knowledge of such a creature but the old man was stumped too. He had not heard of such a creature, neither in real life nor even in legend and myth. "It must have been conjured by sorcery," Gaius concluded.

"Impossible," Uther said. "Arthur, take your knights and ride out to meet it. If it can attack livestock and men then it too can be attacked and killed."

"Yes, Father," Arthur replied, bowing. He and Merlin left the hall to prepare for the journey.


	8. Chapter 7

Merlin did not know why he had the misfortune of being destined to protect Arthur and ensure the prince survived to take the throne of Camelot. Oftentimes, he wished it were his destiny to kill Arthur instead. The Prince certainly got on his nerves more often than not and, with all the perilous situations he got them both into, Merlin would be more than happy to off him, just so that he could have some peace and a quiet life instead of traipsing all over the kingdom tracking down dangerous monsters.

They had left Camelot early that day, after spending a sleepless night getting ready for battle. Merlin was perched on his horse a short distance behind Arthur, the only servant amidst the other military men. It was not good news for him for Arthur kept him busy fetching water, firewood and doing the cooking, cleaning and polishing. Merlin wondered why the armour and boots still needed polishing when they were out in the field.

It was another full day's ride before they approached the first of the outlying villages. It was clear that something was very wrong for there was no one about. The sun was well in the sky but there was no one working in the fields, no smoke from cooking fires in the village, no sign of life at all.

Arthur sent some soldiers down to the village to investigate and check for survivors but from where they were, they could see the collapsed roof of the main church. Something seemed to have also taken large chunks off of thatched roofs, as though trying to get inside. The soldiers came back a short while later to report what they had all feared - there was no one left in the village. There were signs of struggle, the buildings had been badly damaged, the main church especially, but there were no bodies to be found. If it were an invading army, there would be bodies and signs of carnage. Here there was nothing.

Merlin nervously scanned the sky for any sign of the flying monster that had been described. Now that they were here and had seen the bizarre sight of the abandoned village, the young man felt threatened and far too exposed out in the open under the sunny and cloudless sky.

The soldiers were all on guard. Arthur gave the order to move on. They made their way to the next village on the map. Here, they had more luck. It was quiet too but the largest building in the village, a storage barn, was still intact and standing! They rode into the town and Arthur dismounted, going to the barn door. It was tightly shut but he could hear the sound of people inside. He knocked loudly on the door.

"I am Prince Arthur of Camelot. Open this door!" he ordered.

The door opened the smallest of cracks and a frightened villager looked out. When he saw that it was Camelot's knights, he opened the door wider and welcomed them in. Arthur, Merlin and a few other knights entered but the bulk of the guard stayed outside.

"You should all come in, sirs. The creature could attack at any moment," the villager said.

"We are knights of Camelot," Arthur said. "We do not run away from danger. But tell me, what news of this creature? We are hunting it down to kill it."

"You cannot kill it!" another villager cried. "It's magic. It cannot be killed!"

"Nonsense," Arthur said dismissively. "If it's alive and can eat and sleep and kill, then it can be killed." Speaking to the crowd, he asked: 'When was the last time you saw this creature?"

"About four hours ago," was the reply. They reported the direction the creature was headed and it was the position of the abandoned village. When Arthur told them of the abandoned village, a general outcry arose. These villages evidently thought they would be next. "We don't know how much longer this building can hold," they cried. "It would be coming for us soon."

The villagers told Arthur as much as they could about the creature's movements. It seemed that it did not discriminate what it devoured or where or when. There was no discernible pattern but it seemed to come when it found people lingering outdoors. That was why the villagers were terrified now that the soldiers refused to come in. They were afraid the presence of so many men out of doors would attract the creature.

Arthur was pleased to hear that for it was exactly what he was trying to do - hunt down the creature. If live human bait was what it wanted, then that was what the knights of Camelot were going to give it. He had the soldiers secure the barn and, leading his knights out to an open field outside the village, in front of a small forest, they waited.

Merlin's horse was restless. It shifted from side to side, unwilling to stay still. Merlin tried to calm it by whispering soothing things into its ear but it refused to settle down. Arthur was becoming irritated again, a combination of impatience and witnessing the ineptitude of his servant to control even a horse.

"Honestly, Merlin, I don't know why you insist on coming out with us," Arthur said. "You're not a knight, not even a soldier. It's not your job to be out here."

"It's my job to be where you are, sire," Merlin replied. "You never know, you might need me in battle."

Arthur laughed. "The day I need you in battle, Merlin, would be the day my father changes his mind about magic. You can barely handle a sword."

"Hey, I've picked up some skills," Merlin protested.

"Sure, like how to be even more annoying that usual," Arthur teased. "Now would you control your horse and shut up? I'm saving my energy for the fight."

"You don't even know if there's going to be a fight. The creature might just appear out of nowhere and bam! We're all dead," Merlin said cheerfully. Arthur glared at him. "Ok, shutting up right now," the young man said, tugging at the reins of his horse and trying to make it stay still.

But his wasn't the only restless horse now. Some of the other horses were stamping on the ground nervously, as though they sensed something coming. It was not usual behaviour for these were warhorses trained for bravery and to face the dangers and carnage of the battlefield. For them to take fright like this meant something truly terrifying was on the way.

The knights were readying themselves. Arthur turned to Merlin and said: "You, go into the tree line and stay there. That's an order."

Merlin did as he was told. Just as he reached the trees however, the skies filled with an ear-piercing shriek that seemed to come from all directions. Arthur began giving instructions and the knights moved into formation as they had practiced during training. Merlin could not hear their voices from where he was.

His horse whinnied, wanting to get to safety before whatever monster arrived. Merlin empathised but knew it was his duty to stay. "_Swigian_," he whispered, glad to be finally alone and able to speak the ancient language. The horse calmed down instantly, though it was still on high alert.

The shriek sounded again, closer this time and the knights all drew their swords. The huge monster flew overhead, its powerful wings grazing the treetops, making a beeline to the group of knights in the clearing. Merlin saw it swoop down as if to land but the knights opened up to form a circle around the monster.

The monster was not phased and leapt forward. A knight disappeared in a blinding flash of light. The other knights tried to attack but it did not seem to hurt the creature at all. On the contrary, the horses seemed to be going mad with terror and it was creating confusion and pandemonium as the animals refused to obey their masters' orders. At length, the knights dismounted, which Merlin thought was not a wise move. At least on horseback, they had a small chance of outrunning the creature!

The monster was picking the knights off one by one. Soon, only Arthur was left. His horse was as brave as its master and was still in fighting condition, protecting its master by carrying him further whenever the monster tried to swoop down to finish him. Merlin saw Arthur ready himself to thrust the sword into the monster's body and, on instinct, the young man raised his hand in Arthur's direction and firmly intoned: "_Bregdan anweald gafeluc!_"

The sword glowed and Arthur, seeming to realise that some sort of magic was at work in his favour, made his move. The sword cut deeply into the creature and it let out a shriek, its hideous four limbs lashing out and knocking Arthur off his horse. It seemed disturbed by the wound but not injured.

Merlin had spurred his horse forward. The monster was leaning over Arthur, and, with Merlin's gift of slowing time, he saw the monster's second mouth opening and the light emitting. "_Hit forlaete folge min bebod!_" he shouted, his eyes flashing gold. The creature paused and looked at him, the mouth in its head emitting an angry shriek. Merlin reached Arthur and he jumped off his horse. The prince was unconscious and bleeding where the monster's claws had cut through his armour. The creature tried to attack again but Merlin was ready.

"_Gescildan!_" he cried, holding his hand up to produce a magical shield. The creature battered against the shield and Merlin could feel its strong will fighting to break through his magic. The creature attacked a few more times, shrieking angrily as it was repeatedly thwarted. At length, it gave up and took off into the sky. Merlin collapsed, exhausted from his efforts.


	9. Chapter 8

The kingdom was in an uproar. Word of the creature had reached the city and left the people terrified as their fear turned the creature into something more monstrous than it already was. The reports of the creature were that it was done with the outlying villages, that it had destroyed the entire population of the countryside and was heading towards the bigger towns and in the direction of Camelot itself.

Merlin returned alone to Camelot with Arthur's injured body lying across his horse. The servant had looked exhausted to the bone and his report of what had happened before and during the fight made the future look bleak. So many of Camelot's finest knights killed in one fell swoop. Merlin's official report that the monster had destroyed and wiped out an entire village at least, leaving no trace of the inhabitants, weighed heavily on the king's mind. Merlin had left out the part where he had enchanted Arthur's sword but had said that though Arthur managed to pierce the creature's hide, it was not enough to significantly wound the creature. The king withdrew to his council chambers to hold a council of war with his generals.

Arthur was gravely injured after the attack. His wounds had seemed simple on the surface - mere claw marks and deep cuts - but nothing Gaius tried could close the wounds. The prince was also unconscious ever since the attack. There was no logical explanation for his prolonged unconsciousness. There was no head injury. Gaius felt helpless and could do little more than dress the wounds and try to prevent infection from setting in. Whatever malady Arthur was suffering from, it was clearly magical and it was likely magic had to be used to heal it.

He spoke to the king of that possibility, the chance that the creature that hurt Arthur was created from magic and that only magic could destroy it and heal the prince.

"That is impossible," Uther said firmly. "Who would dare conjure such a creature?"

"I don't know, sire," Gaius said. "But there may be one who can rid us of it."

"No," Uther said. "There is no such person."

"She is powerful, sire," Gaius tried to argue. "She placed the spell that is no doubt protecting the city from being attacked by the creature now. Perhaps we should not dismiss this option so summarily, my lord."

"Gaius, I have made up my mind," Uther snapped. "There is no such person and even if there were, I will not beg the help of a sorcerer. Camelot will fight the creature with sword and sinew alone. It must."

Two days passed and the castle prepared for a prolonged siege, moving provisions into the citadel and loading up on weapons and defences. The creature was getting closer. There were reports of it in areas close to the castle. More villages around the city were reported to have been decimated and wiped out. Stone churches and venerable old buildings became islands of refuge in a sea of death and destruction but these too were slowly falling to the creature. It was a sombre mood as what few refugees there were trickled in to the city, seeking protection inside the castle citadel. It was uncertain if these were the lucky ones who lived to fight another day or those unlucky enough to have escaped and live to be recaptured by the monster.

Meanwhile, Gaius had interrogated Merlin to find every detail about the creature the young man could remember and was busy poring over his books to try to identify it and find out how it could be killed. Merlin seemed badly shaken by his experience out in the field. His mood was something Gaius had never seen from the usually cheerful young man. He spoke only when spoken to. He seemed drained and immensely troubled and refused to talk about it beyond saying that the creature managed to withstand his magic. It was as if the young man was pulling back into himself and conserving his energy instead of flinging it about as he used to.

Finally Gaius put his foot down. On the second night after Merlin's return, he went to the young man's room. He was lying curled up on his side and did not acknowledge the old man when he came in. Gaius sat on the side of the bed and put a hand on Merlin's shoulder. The young man's body felt thinner than he remembered it to be and his breathing was laboured. "Merlin, come, sit up," Gaius said. Merlin did as he was told. "What's wrong? You've been all out of sorts since you returned. What happened?"

"I've told you what happened already, Gaius," Merlin said listlessly.

"You think you've told me everything but I doubt it," Gaius said. "You're not yourself. You seem tired all the time. Did the creature do something to you? Did it drain you somehow?"

Merlin considered the possibility. "Gaius, when the creature was attacking me, it did feel like it was draining me. I don't know what it took from me but after it went away I felt so exhausted. I feel like I don't have any energy left in me and no way of getting it back." His eyes, when he looked at Gaius, were dull and lifeless. Gaius saw that the young man was afraid and did not understand what was happening to him but was trying not to let it show.

Gaius nodded and quickly left the room. Merlin heard him muttering to himself and rummaging through his numerous cupboards. He wondered what kind of potion Gaius could possibly give him that could reverse the effects of the creature's attack when Gaius still had no idea what the creature was.

The old man came back with a small dusty vial full of thick red liquid. The vial was corked and sealed with wax. "I never thought I would one day have to use this," he said. "But it's lucky I kept it instead of throwing it out together with my other old junk from before the Great Purge."

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"This is a vial of vampire blood," Gaius said, holding the bottle out to the light. "It still looks alright, I think."

Merlin was shocked. "Vampire blood? Gaius, where did you get it? Why do you have it in the first place?"

"You remember I told you about the sorcerer Elvira?" Gaius asked. Merlin nodded. "Before Uther pressed her into his service, she was a healer by trade. That was when I first met her. She was a very good physician and I began to notice that occasionally she managed to effect miraculous cures. But she kept her methods very secret. After a time, she revealed to me that she was not human but a vampire and she told me vampire blood - her blood - had incredible healing qualities. A single drop could heal the most fatal wounds and a mouthful could snatch people back from the brink of death. She gave me this vial as a present and told me to use it only when my need was direst."

Gaius heated the wax seal with the candle flame and unstoppered the vial. He handed it to Merlin. "Here! I think our need is extremely dire now. I don't approve of dabbling in the dark arts like this but I don't think we have a choice." Then, in a more serious tone, carefully emphasising his words, he said: "Her power may be our only chance to save Camelot from falling."

Merlin took the vial. "Won't it turn me into a vampire?" he asked apprehensively.

"No. She said it would cause people to turn only if the person drinking it has lost a lot of blood. You don't seem to have suffered any severe blood loss, have you?" Gaius ran a quick physician's eye over the young man.

"No, I wasn't wounded that badly," Merlin said. "Why don't you give it to Arthur? He's in worse shape than I am."

"I fear he has lost too much blood. It might be dangerous. And, it's not Arthur who can save us from this evil. It's you, and you know it."

Merlin was still nervous. "This is Elvira's blood?"

"Yes, it is," Gaius said. "She's extremely old so her blood is very potent." He saw Merlin still hesitating. "Is anything wrong?"

"No. I..." Merlin began but did not finish his sentence.

"Then drink it, Merlin," Gaius urged. "Camelot needs you. You can't save the kingdom if you're hurt too."

Merlin trusted the old man and he downed the liquid in one gulp. He coughed as he swallowed the strong blood. He felt its effects immediately. He felt energised. Gaius noticed the change too. The light came back into the young man's eyes and his breathing was not as laboured. Within seconds, he was back to his old self. He bounced off the bed and was out the door, his brain working at full speed again. He realised what Gaius had hinted to him and what he had to do.

"Where are you going?" Gaius called after him.

"To save Camelot!" Merlin replied.


	10. Chapter 9

Hi everyone! We're coming to the end of the tale very soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing. There's some reference to Doctor Who in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Happy Easter! :)

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Merlin knew this was their last hope. He ran to the secret wing of the castle. The castle was bustling and there was no one to wonder where he was going in such a hurry. The secret wing was still quiet and empty. Even in these desperate times the people still feared the past and the magic that lingered in that wing. But Merlin just tore through the corridors. He had snuck through them many times and he knew exactly when to say "_Tospringe_" to make the locked wooden door open at the right time so as not to break his stride.

He ran down the stairs and to the chamber. The torchlight had gone out but it was easy enough for him to light. "_Leohtbora_."

"Someone's in a hurry today," Elvira commented as she beheld him fly in.

"I need your help," Merlin said, crossing over to the grilles where he always stood to speak to her.

"What is it?" she asked. Merlin gave her a quick overview of what had happened and described the creature in as much detail as possible. Her face darkened and a kind of grim joy crossed her features. "So it's happened. The fall of Camelot. This is how it happens."

"Camelot is not going to fall!" Merlin exclaimed. "You can't just sit here and watch it happen. You have to do something to stop it."

"I don't 'have to' do anything" Merlin," Elvira said firmly. "I will not lift a finger to help Uther Pendragon. I helped him once before and look where it's gotten me. I'm not stupid enough to do it again. I'd rather watch him and everything he holds dear crumble and die." She spat out the last sentence with such bitterness that Merlin was shocked.

The young man felt desperate. He had not counted on Elvira's hatred towards the king causing her to refuse her help. He had forgotten how much anger she harboured in her heart towards the man who had condemned her to 25 years of starvation, neglect and torment underground. Merlin struggled to find the right words to persuade her.

"Elvira, please, I'm begging you. Please help us. Help me. You don't have to do it for Uther. Do it for me. My friends and my family are out there. Helpless and trying to fight for their lives. If you don't help, they're all going to die." Merlin slumped down on the floor just beside the doorway, leaning against the cold stone wall. He hung his head sadly. Saying it out loud made the reality of the situation strike home in a sudden and painful way. They were all going to die. He continued softly: "You're not like Uther. You're better than him. At least, the person I know is. The person I know would do anything to help a friend. Please. You're my last hope. I don't know what else to do. Please, help me."

There was silence and Merlin thought Elvira had just stopped listening and gone away. He remained on the floor. If they were all going to die, here was as good a place as any to do it. Then he heard her speak: "I have never seen the creature before but I have heard of it. They have no name but some stories call them the reapers because of the scythe shape of their tail. They come from the void."

"What's the void?" Merlin asked, hope rekindled. "How can they be killed?"

"Merlin, to deal with a reaper, you have to understand where it came from and why," Elvira said. "It's really hard to explain."

"Try. We don't have time," Merlin said eagerly.

"Reapers come from the void. The void is... There is a concept of parallel universes all existing side by side with each other. Each parallel universe consists of the 'could have beens' in life! For instance, you making the decision to come and befriend me for the first time. Somewhere out there, there is a universe where you did not make that decision. That world is moving in tandem with this one but at parallel courses. It's like another dimension, another world." Elvira's hands were gesturing, trying to illustrate what she was talking about, willing Merlin to understand.

"The dimensions are all stacked up against each other but never really touching. In between these dimensions is nothingness, a space I call the void. Some people call it the Howling, some others call it hell. But in there, there is nothing. This is hard to imagine but in that space there is no up, no down, no left, no right, no distance, no time. Nothing."

"How can there be nothing?" Merlin couldn't help but interrupt. "What do you mean 'no time'? How can there be no time?"

"I can't explain it either," Elvira said. "This is just what I know, what I've been told about the void myself. Time itself ceases to exist inside the void. It just is. But they say there are creatures living inside the void. Terrible creatures. The reapers are just one kind of creature."

"So they came from the void?"

"Yes! Now, they are linked to time and their 'job' is to seek out time paradoxes - things that aren't meant to happen. Like you going into the past and doing something to change the future. Time cannot be rewritten and if you do, that's a paradox. Are you following me so far?" Merlin nodded. "When time paradoxes happen, the reapers will come. It's their job to seek out the disturbances in time and clean out the area by devouring everything. In other words, when things go wrong, the reapers would come and force everything to restart from a blank slate; just destroying this universe and reverting to a different parallel."

"What can destroy them?" Merlin asked. Elvira was silent. "Elvira? What can we do?"

When she spoke again, she sounded so sad. "There used to be people who had the power. A mighty race called the Time Lords. Once upon a time, they would have stepped in to stop the reapers from destroying the world. But they're all gone now. I'm sorry, Merlin. I'm so sorry. There's nothing we can do. Nothing in this entire universe can harm a reaper because it's not from this world. Time and space mean nothing to it. You might stick a sword into it but the reaper has a different way of seeing the world. They can make the sword not exist, and you can't be hurt by something that doesn't exist."

"I managed to stop one," Merlin said. "I used magic. But I felt it... I felt it trying to make my magic not exist. That's why I felt so drained after I fought it."

"I can't explain that. I've never heard of anyone who managed to fight off a reaper."

"But there has to be a way. It's from another world, you said. You're from another world too. Isn't there some kind of magic in your world that can stop it?" Merlin suggested.

"You say there's only one reaper?" Elvira clarified.

"Seems to be," Merlin said.

"Makes no sense," Elvira said. "From what I heard, reapers come as a whole swarm. If it were truly a sterilisation, the entire world would be wiped out by now." Her mind was now clearly considering all the possibilities and Merlin did not speak, careful not to break her train of thought. "Maybe this one slipped through. Maybe it's like me and it fell through a crack in time and space. This isn't typical reaper behaviour. If there were a time paradox, even one reaper would have destroyed the world in a week. But there isn't a paradox. Can't be. The reaper slipped through and is confused. It doesn't know what to do and it's attacking randomly because it thinks that's what it should be doing."

Elvira began pacing inside the cell, working something out in her mind! She was muttering to herself and Merlin caught phrases now and then that meant nothing to him. "Like the Doctor did with the Daleks and Cybermen. During the Battle of Canary Wharf. What was it that Jack said he did? The Doctor and Rose were covered in void stuff, open the void and void stuff sucks back in and pulls you through too..."

Finally she came back to the doorway. "I've worked out a plan, Merlin," she said. "I think I can get rid of the reaper, but I need your help."

"What do you need?" Merlin asked.

"I need to get out of this cell," Elvira said. "You need to find a way to break my enchantment."

"How do I do that?" Merlin asked, perplexed.

"I'm not sure but you have to try," Elvira said. "When I cast the spell, it was meant to contain sorcerers and prevent them from using their powers on the inside. The only escape route afforded to the prisoner, other than the death sentence, is to swear fealty and allegiance to the Crown and renounce magic. And Uther has to accept and issue a pardon. There's nothing I can do unilaterally from in here. Maybe on the outside you could find some weakness."

"But you cast the spell. Tell me the counter-spell and I'll cast it," Merlin urged.

"There is no counter-spell!" Elvira exclaimed in frustration. "My magic is different from yours and its focal point is me, not words or nature or the earth; but when I'm in here my magic is useless!" Then she calmed down. "Think, Merlin. You're destined to be the most powerful sorcerer the world has ever seen. If anyone can break the enchantment, it's you."

Merlin pondered the situation, running through all the words and spells he knew in the ancient language. He knew he had to be as precise as possible because if he used the wrong words in casting the spell, he could bring down the building or worse.

Then he realised. The source of the enchantment was Elvira but he had her blood in him. Part of her power was in him and he could harness it to break the spell. Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand and intoned the words carefully: "_Raedan asce geatan. Toberstan pa wicunga se rum saelan. Onliesan alisan duru ryne. Folge min bedod_."

His eyes flashed gold but nothing happened. Elvira tried the doorway but was still trapped inside. "It was a good spell," she encouraged. "Try it again." He did so but there was still no effect. "Close your eyes, Merlin," she coached. "Feel for the magic, grasp it firmly, then cast the spell."

He followed her instructions, calming himself down and reaching for that place deep inside where the magic originated. He had seldom probed this place before but it yielded easily to his command. He felt the magic welling up stronger than he had ever felt before and, in a loud voice, he repeated the spell: "_Raedan asce geatan! Toberstan pa wicunga se rum saelan! Onliesan alisan duru ryne! Folge min bedod!_"

His eyes flashed as his magic unleashed and there was a loud crashing noise. The room shook and dust showered down on him. Instinctively he threw himself onto the floor, his arm raised to protect himself. When the dust settled, Merlin saw the room still intact and Elvira standing next to him for the first time. The manacles were gone from her wrists and ankles and she was free. She flung her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you" Merlin," she said. "Thank you. So much."

Merlin smiled, then his smile widened into a grin and a beam and he was soon laughing with joy. He had never tried such difficult magic before and succeeded. Most of all, he had never been thanked for using magic to help. He enjoyed Elvira's gratefulness for a moment then remembered the whole point of breaking her out. "Let's go send that reaper back to hell!"


	11. Chapter 10

They snuck out of the castle on foot! Elvira seemed gleeful, as if her prior refusal to help had been made on principle and she had really relished the thought of doing battle with this monster. Once they were clear of the city, Elvira briefed Merlin on what she planned to do. "The reaper came from another world, same as me. If I can get hold of it, I might be able to bind it and control it. I can reopen the portal, and it'll suck us both back in. You will have to make sure the portal stays open long enough that we've gone through and to close it afterwards. When the reaper is gone, then the world will revert back to normal and everyone will be safe."

But when Merlin heard her plan, he stopped short. "Wait, but that means you would be going through too," he pointed out.

"Yes! It would," Elvira said, not looking at Merlin.

"I don't want you to go," Merlin blurted.

"Merlin, I have to," Elvira said. "This isn't my world. If I go through the portal with the reaper, I have a chance of going home. I've waited more than 50 years for this chance. Who knows when the space-time fabric will be weak enough for another crack to open? Do you understand? I have to take this chance."

Merlin just looked away. He felt hurt, especially since he knew he was going to lose another friend. It hurt more because it seemed like she did not care at all whereas he cared more than he wanted to admit. He did not reply and started walking again, at a faster pace this time.

Elvira caught up with him easily. "Merlin," she said as she took his hand. They stopped walking and stood face to face. "Merlin, I do care about you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken that way. I should have considered your feelings too. I will miss you and this land but it will never be home for me. I have people waiting for me back home, people whom I love and miss so dearly. You've been a good friend to me and I will never forget your kindness."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Merlin asked. "You'll be leaving no matter what. And I have to help you because that's the only way to save Camelot." Elvira said nothing at this. "Let's go. We're wasting time here."

Now it was Elvira's turn to feel hurt at his curtness but she pushed her feelings aside and concentrated on preparing for the task at hand. Merlin brought her to the clearing where he used to sneak out to meet the dragon at night. It was far away enough from villages and from the city and they could do their work there.

"Can we really open a portal here?" Merlin asked. "Doesn't it have to be exactly where the creature first appeared and came through?"

"It may be easier at the original point," Elvira answered. "But I don't think we have time to go there now. Especially not on foot."

"Right. So what do we do now?"

"You start thinking of a spell that will keep the portal open, should it close before the reaper passes through," Elvira instructed. "And then think of another spell that will seal the portal off. That second spell has to be as strong as possible because the portal is too near the city and dangerous things could slip through if it reopens."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find a way to open the portal in the first place. Then..." she grinned at him, "I'm going to draw the reaper here."

Merlin was worried. He had already seen first hand the effects of the creature and was suddenly aware of how close the city was and how vulnerable it would be if they should fail in their task. He stole glances at Elvira. She had her eyes closed and her hand outstretched, as though feeling for something invisible. As he watched, she stopped and her fingers probed the empty air as though there were an invisible wall before her. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the air and a stream of pure white light came forth from it.

Elvira smiled. "Look well, Merlin, for none of your people will see something like this again." Merlin walked over and stood beside her. "This is pure time energy. The substance that makes time move forward and surrounds all events from now until the end of time." Standing next to her, Merlin felt her power as she manipulated the crack and it opened wider, spilling out more of that white light. "You'd better stand aside, Merlin. If it decides to take you, you may go on to another world or worse."

"What could be worse than that?" Merlin asked.

"You could have never existed. Time energy can erase you from existence. You would have never been born," Elvira warned. She continued to manipulate the portal, readying it for its purpose.

Suddenly, she looked up at him. "Merlin," she said seriously. "I need you to promise me that you will do your part. I need to know I can count on you, that you're not going to do something that will prevent the plan from succeeding."

Merlin was surprised. It was as if she had read his mind for he had considered trying to word his part of the spell so that she could stay. She was still waiting for him to reply, to give her his word. For a rebellious second, Merlin thought about not promising. He resented the fact that he did all the work and not only received nothing in return but also lost so much in the process. However, his nature made him selfless and he knew that even though it might break his heart, doing the right thing meant letting Elvira go. "I promise," he said.

She nodded, satisfied with his word. "Are you ready?" she asked.

His emotions were all jumbled up inside him but he felt mostly fear. "I'm ready," he said.

Elvira raised both hands to the sky and uttered some words in a language Merlin did not recognise. A beam of energy shot out from her hands and formed a dome covering the city. The dome disintegrated and became like rain, falling onto the city but disappearing with a shimmer upon contact. "It's coming! I've lifted the spell I put on Camelot years ago to protect it from the notice of the reapers. I'm the oldest thing around and I've created so many paradoxes since I came here. It can't help but come for me."

That familiar shriek filled the sky as the creature came close, drawn by Elvira. The city was a hotbed of paradoxes that she had created - the lives she had saved in her capacity as physician, and the prophecies she had spoken. Her mere presence was a paradox as she was a person out of her time and had changed the way history was supposed to turn out when she helped Uther eradicate magic in the land.

The creature came into view and Elvira pushed Merlin aside, making sure the creature had a clear view of her alone. It landed before the girl, making ready to engulf her. She held her hands out before it and bound it with her magic, preventing it from flying away. The reaper shrieked loudly, finding itself caught in the trap. It struggled and fought but Elvira's magic was strong.

"Merlin! Open the portal!" Elvira cried.

Merlin stepped forward and intoned: "_Aliesan duru ryne!_"

The portal opened wider than before. Elvira sent out her magic and drew the light towards her and the reaper. The light responded and was dragging them in just as she had predicted. Merlin saw that the portal was not big enough for the reaper to pass through. "_Allinan!_" he ordered and the portal obeyed, opening wider, revealing a vast empty space filled with light brighter than he had ever seen. Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he controlled the space-time crack, willing it to open wide and receive the creature.

It worked and the larger creature got dragged in first. The light seemed to bind it and pull it closer and closer towards the brightness. It got engulfed by the light and slowly disappeared.

Merlin thought it was all over but then he saw that the light had also taken Elvira. She was still on this side but was inevitably being dragged further in. He wanted to save her. He knew he could save her. He raised his hand, ready to cast the spell that would prevent her from disappearing like the reaper.

'_No, Merlin,_' he heard her voice inside his head. '_Remember your promise. Let me go._'

How he longed to break his promise. But the expression on Elvira's face at that moment held him to his word. She was at peace. It was as if she could seem something on the other side of that portal that Merlin could not see. Whatever she saw was what she wanted. Her home.

_'Goodbye, Merlin._'

She entered the brightest part of the light and then was gone. The portal shrank in upon itself and closed.

Merlin knew he had to cast the spell to lock the portal forever. He struggled to control his emotions, to stop the tears from falling as he remembered his lost friend. He reached for the magic and intoned: "Belucan pasduru ac elduru. Laetan hie opstandan  
aefre lucan."

The portal gleamed with that white light again. There was a blinding flash and Merlin was forced to shield his eyes. When he lowered his arm, the portal was gone. He knew it was sealed and would never open again, not for the rest of time.


	12. Epilogue

Merlin staggered back to the castle. The marketplace was bustling as he walked through the lower town and then back up to the royal estate. There was the sound of swords clashing as the knights did their training in the practice fields, the smell of the horses being groomed and stables being cleaned.

"Merlin!" he looked up and saw Arthur yelling at him from the fields, gesturing for him to go over. He did so and when he got close enough, Arthur smacked him round the head. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you. My chambers are in a shambles from your laziness."

"I'm sorry, I..." the young man looked at Arthur and beamed. The last time he had seen the Prince, Arthur had been on his deathbed, battling the wounds inflicted by the reaper. "You're here! You're fine. You're well."

Arthur looked at his servant strangely. "Have you been on the cider again?" Merlin shook his head, still smiling broadly even though he knew Arthur thought he was having another attack of a mysterious mental affliction. "Of course I'm fine. Never better."

"Of course, yeah. I probably should go and..." Merlin struggled to make up some excuse, pointing in a vague direction towards the castle. "Clean out your chambers." He quickly walked away, leaving Arthur to wonder what the young man had been up to this time.

When Merlin reached the castle, he remembered Elvira's words - that everything would have reverted back to normal once the creature was gone. He began to run, running as fast as he could down to the secret wing.

But when he got down to the cell, he found nothing there. There was no trace that Elvira had even been there at all.

"What are you doing down here?" a guard suddenly appeared behind him and asked.

Merlin slowly turned round, still not quite believing his eyes, still looking round at the empty room, wondering. "Nothing," he finally said. "I wasn't doing anything." And he edged himself around the suspicious guard and made his exit from the room. Walking back through the secret wing to the main castle, he realised that it felt different. It was cleaner and more open. He no longer felt that hatred and foreboding, the sense of magic lingering in the air. It was no longer a forbidden secret wing.

It seemed that things had gone back to normal, but a normal where Elvira had never been in Camelot. The reaper's work, to remove the paradox and restore time to its natural progression, had inadvertently been done and Elvira was gone.

But working in Camelot did not give him much time to mope. Merlin had the chance to be downcast for less than a minute before the inevitable familiar exasperated call "Merlin!" rang through the corridors again and he had to run and fulfill his duties.

THE END

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**Author's Note: **

**Once again, thank you all for joining me on this adventure and reviewing. You guys have been so sweet. I hope you've enjoyed it. :D**

**I do have sort of a 'sequel' that's still unfinished. I guess seeing as people seem to like what I write, it's given me incentive to finish up that.**

**See you all then! :)**


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